Cornell expert available on South Korea imposing martial law

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol now says he will lift the declaration of martial law he had imposed overnight. This development came after members of the National Assembly voted to block Yoon’s decree.

Sidney Tarrow, an emeritus professor of government in the College of Arts & Sciences who researches social movements and contentious politics, says that the president’s actions could reinvigorate South Korea’s tradition of expressing political dissent through candlelight rallies.

Tarrow says: “This is the first time since the 1980s that martial law has been declared in Seoul, which led to a self-coup from within the military, with one general replacing another, leading to another six years of military dictatorship until a popular movement installed democracy.

“Since then, South Korean civil society has grown bolder and better organized, as witnessed with a series of large-scale candlelight protests beginning in the 1990s. Most recently, the ‘Candlelight Revolution’ of 2016-2017 saw millions of South Koreans protest for twenty weeks the abuse of power by then-President Park Geun-hye, eventually leading to her impeachment.

“Whether there will be a resurgence of the candlelight movement, or something like it, in response to the president's politically motivated declaration and the military’s unconstitutional action will only become clear in the coming days and weeks, but the conditions are there."

For interviews contact Ellen Leventry, (607) 288-3784, eel2@cornell.edu.